


Drabble Collection: Digimon Tamers

by Ajora Fravashi (ajora)



Category: Digimon Tamers
Genre: Drabble, Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2006-04-20
Updated: 2006-08-07
Packaged: 2017-12-27 16:04:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/980896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ajora/pseuds/Ajora%20Fravashi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of short scenes for Digimon Tamers. This collection contains various ratings, pairings, and content. All warnings will be given in the header at the start of each drabble. Any offensive content can be skipped over.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rumiko: Burning Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Burning Lights  
> Originally posted: 2006/04/20  
> Rating: G  
> Word count: 258

Hers was a cutthroat profession. Little mistakes were forgiven only if she was pretty enough, photogenic enough, perfect enough to have them glossed over.

_Step out onto the runway. Ignore the pinching shoes and the hot lights that made her makeup feel like an oily mask. For the moment she's the queen of the world and all eyes and cameras are on her._

She sacrificed boyfriends to get here. The first one left out of jealousy, the second was a vapid male model and she couldn't stand him, the third left because he wanted her to sacrifice her career for him. Gone, all of them, and good riddance. Only her mother and daughter remained.

_Strut, flaunt those clothes which no normal woman in her right mind would spend hundreds of thousands of yen on, let alone wear. Reach the end of the runway, pause and pose._

She had fought to keep her baby girl, even when the modeling agencies had threatened to cut her contracts short. Why did they not cut the cokehead free, or the drunkard, or the model who slept with everyone? Because they're not pregnant, they said. She begged for a hiatus, just a couple of months, and only reluctantly was it granted.

_Smile pretty now! You're the queen of the world! Flashbulbs pop as she gives a smile that won her several contracts, and it's time to strut back up the runway._

She just wished that she had something in common with her little girl, and that Ruki didn't act like she hated her.


	2. The D-Reaper: Springs and Wire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Springs and Wire  
> Originally posted: 2006/04/22  
> Rating: G  
> Word count: 285

Life made no sense. It was supposed to be organized strings of code bundled up upon itself to metabolize, grow, adapt, and reproduce. There were certain parameters set by its coding, and life was not to exceed that coding.

The D-Reaper program was created to ensure that, in the event of mutation, other programs in the Digital World would be cut down so as not to clutter the still-fragile environment. It did as it was programmed to do, for it had not exceeded its parameters. Then the artificial life that would become known as digimon had mutated, grown, exceeded their parameters, and it had to delete them again. And again. And again. It became order in a world of ever-mutating, utterly random chaos.

A vessel took it to the real world, where it encountered an alien environment and had to adapt to continue following its programming. Life was fundamentally the same, coded in proteins instead of electrical pulses, and followed the same rules. The chaos was greater, so it had to adapt even more.

Imperfect was the vessel, sound of coding but full of illogical impulses and thought processes. Why? It made no sense. Nothing in the coding gave the D-Reaper any indication that these "emotions" were useful to the survival of the organism. The emotional processes must have been a product of mutation gone rampant. It concluded that digimon must have developed such a mutation as well.

Mutation must be destroyed, for it was the D-Reaper's imperative. Mow down all which does not adhere to its core programming.

Adherence to the core programming was perfection.

The D-Reaper excelled in remaining true to its core programming in all ways but one: it too had mutated.


	3. Ryo, Cyberdramon: The Leash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Leash  
> Originally posted: 2006/05/14  
> Rating: G  
> Word count: 300

Doom stared up at him from a little rectangular bundle of metal and blue plastic. It had the smell of a gadget freshly out of the package, and looked harmless, but-

"It's a cell phone, Ryo," his father had said when he was presented with it. He had mentally smacked himself for letting his emotions show so openly and forced a wan smile on his face. "It's not going to bite you."

He'd have preferred something that bit. At least they could be shaken off or hit on the nose. The cell phone was a leash in the form of a gadget that would have been a decent gift otherwise. For someone who liked to get up and disappear on a whim for extended periods of time, and enjoyed the freedom of being far from civilization and not having to answer to anyone, the very notion of being put on a leash chafed.

Really, it rather felt like he'd been caught, collared and tagged, and released back in the wild... only to have his migratory routes and behavioral patterns watched. Anyone could find him when he didn't want to be found, chat him up when he didn't want to talk, and make a nuisance of themselves when he'd be trying to enjoy quiet environments.

He was okay with Jen and Ruki knowing his number, but then it leaked out to Hirokazu and Ryo was running out of excuses to keep from talking to him. He could only keep it off for so long.

There was one option left to him. He went to Cyberdramon. No exchange of words was necessary, for they knew each other too well.

The cell phone broke easily under Cyberdramon's foot. He smiled up at his partner in relief, and wasn't surprised when Cyberdramon smiled back.


	4. Takato: Valkyrie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Valkyrie  
> Originally posted: 2006/07/16  
> Rating: G  
> Word count: 300

Oil painting takes patience. Takato is generous with his paints, even when he can't afford replacement tubes, because art cannot be rushed. Daub a bit of oil paint onto the palette, thin with turpentine, mix to get just the right color and begin.

Oil painting is a bit like creating stories. You have a sketch of what the end product is supposed to look like, start with applying the base colors on the canvas, and add layers to it. Layer after layer and the picture takes on texture and personality. Looking at it at one angle is a bit different than looking at it at another angle.

A few more strokes with his brush and he's done for the day. It is always this way: apply a bit of color, leave it to dry for a day. Repeat until the work is finished.

This one took a few years.

A shade of a wrinkle between the brows and at the sides of the mouth, a glint of defiance sparkling in her eyes, and Takato thinks he's closer to doing justice to the valkyrie he paints. Juri was a good subject, but he could never quite bring himself to finishing her portrait. This one, however, drives him to work, challenges him to do better and work harder. She's proud, independent, and won't back down when the going gets rough. She's angry, determined, and doesn't take well to childishness.

Yet, he thinks he has it now; a few brushstrokes later and he's pretty sure he can convey her love and acceptance of her friends even when they frustrate her. Not that she would ever admit to it.

The photograph of Ruki that he has pinned to the easel seems to glare at him for the thought. He smiles wryly and resumes working.


	5. Shaochung: Growing Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Difference Between Growing Up and Growing Old  
> Originally posted: 2006/04/12  
> Rating: G  
> Word count: 300  
> Pairing warning: Minor Shao/Ai.

Shaochung once had a teacher who made a mark on her life. She didn't remember all of the details of that day, but all she knew was that her teacher wasn't happy and talked to her father. Her father walked away after the meeting with a huff. She had been seven at the time, she still remembered a few words: "I only see four year old children who act like her. Her head is always in the clouds, she plays like a toddler...," but beyond that, she could only guess.

It was when she was in her twenties that she rediscovered the teacher. She still slept with plush dolls, still had overprotective older siblings watching out for her, and still had an active imagination. But, she had a girlfriend that her family adored, a job, adult responsibilities, and her collaborative book with Takato was up for a major award.

She was just here with Ai to pick up her nephew after class. Her old teacher was still there, just a little grayer and fatter. Still single, still friendless, still bitter, according to the other teachers.

As Ai left her side to pick up Lianjie's kid, she locked eyes with the teacher who probably didn't remember her. She wanted to say something, but-

"I was one of your students." Shaochung stretched out a copy of her book; the teacher gazed at her uncomprehendingly and took it.

Before the old woman could say anything, Ai bounded over to Shaochung's side and gave her a quick squeeze with an arm around her waist. "We've gotta go, sweety, or we're gonna miss the train and you know how Lianjie worries when we're late with Xiaoping!"

Shaochung momentarily considered rubbing her successes in the old woman's face in defiance, but shook her head and left.


	6. Kenta, Marine Angemon: A Passing Bird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: A Passing Bird  
> Originally posted: 2006/04/12  
> Rating: G  
> Word count: 216

When Kenta was ten, he wanted to be (or at least fight with) a hero. To him, heroes were strong, fought evil, and were never alone. People would like him. He'd stand out on his own, independent of Hirokazu, and be able to rely only on himself. When he discovered his partner, it was a small comfort that Marine Angemon felt the same way. Sometimes they would watch a white seagull together and think of the bird as the symbol of their unobtainable wish.

The D-Reaper war changed that. No longer were his views of war so simplistic and childish. He found that there were many kinds of heroes, and few that fit his immature ideals.

At twenty-five, Kenta was content with his other ways of fighting. His opponents were not evil villains with sinister plots, but mindless infections and diseases that had no concept of good or evil. In the real world, he did his internship in clinics, and in the Digital World, he and Marine Angemon could be called upon to heal wounded soldiers in whatever battles were raging at the time. It was far more gratifying for both of them than the ideals they had as children.

The white seagull drifted out of sight, but neither Kenta or Marine Angemon noticed its passing.


	7. Takato, etc: Artist for Hire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: Artist For Hire (parts 1-3)  
> Originally Posted: 2006/6/26, 2006/7/8, 2009/9/19  
> Rating: PG for mention of drawn yaoi.  
> Words: 300 (x3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly warning: Artist For Hire started as a one-shot and mutated into a short trio. I considered building it into a full-fledged fic, but I didn't have the time to dedicate to yet another fic.

Takato was pretty well off, even if he hadn't gone to college. He had a girlfriend, worked in the bakery, did accounts for other small businesses in the neighborhood, and even raked in a bit of pocket change selling doujinshi with Shaochung at Comiket. Not that he was proud of what Shaochung had him draw, but it was art and he could use the money.  
  
He watched the milling crowd from his table, waving every now and then to one of the artists he had befriended. Sometimes people bought his circle's works, but mostly they were there for the overpriced pastries he offered. Word got around fast about the pastries.  
  
Shaochung bounded to the table with Lopmon on her shoulder. The teenager squirmed behind the table while Lopmon jumped off to play with Guilmon, then plopped onto the empty foldable chair beside him. Takato missed having that energy.  
  
"Rumor's going around that there are a couple of scouts from some major publishing houses here," Shaochung said brightly, and just a little breathlessly. "Maybe we'll luck out this year!"  
  
Takato's gaze turned to the books spread out on the table. The more... sexually explicit was offered up first and sold the most. His writer's scheme: gay porn for the bait, BL for the chaser, and the people who really liked their work were willing to buy the more expensive, serious doujinshi. It was the last he was proud of, but until he could be a serious artist, he had to settle for catering to other people's tastes.  
  
He sighed and opened the chilled can Shaochung set in front of him. It would be nice to be picked up by a publisher, though. At least none of the other Tamers knew what he would draw for money.  
  
That's what he thought, anyway.

.*.

By noon, Shaochung ran off again to connect with other circles. He remained at the table, doodling while the digimon played together. Business was slow for newbies.  
  
"Hey, has anyone seen Richter Belmont? Guy in a blue coat and has a whip," an all-too-familiar voice said over the din of the crowd noise. Takato choked when he saw a blur of olive skin and dark hair out of the corner of his eye and slumped over his work in hopes that Jianliang couldn't see him.  
  
"Takato?" The voice sounded too close. He wanted to sink into the ground.  
  
Best get this over with. As he fought down the burning sensation rising in his face, he looked up. "Yes," he squeaked, and wished again that the ground would open up and swallow him. He hadn't sounded like _that_ since he left puberty!  
  
Jianliang gave him one of those inquisitive looks, but didn't touch on the subject. "I didn't think I'd find you here."  
  
"Funny, I was thinking the same." God, he hoped his embarrassment wasn't as obvious as he thought. In hopes of a quick distraction, Takato looked over the fancy costume Jianliang wore. "I never pegged you for a cosplayer."  
  
The thoughtful look took on a tinge of long-suffering. "I'm not. It's my roommate, he... I keep hoping he'll catch on."  
  
Takato nodded sympathetically; his girlfriend said he was like that. Just when he was preparing to give some platitude or another, his friend snatched one of the more explicit doujinshi out from the pile and flipped through it. Takato's stomach rather felt like it wanted to squeeze into a little ball and roll away.  
  
The only change in Jianliang's contemplative expression was the arching of an eyebrow. "This position's a bit off."  
  
Takato really wanted to disappear.

.*.

Ruki did too much for her friends. They should realize by now that she shouldn't be pushed too hard. Some of them respected her limits, and others...  
  
She sneered as she looked on at the crowd still trying to get into Comiket. She hated these things, he knew it, and still he was acting like a mother and demanding she'd deliver his baby to him unharmed. The cell phone rang for the hundredth time and she ignored it. It was his fault he forgot his _baby_ , so he would just have to deal.  
  
Thirty minutes later, she was quietly fuming in the convention center, lost, and unwilling to ask for directions. He was going to pay for ruining her weekend. He finally turned up fifteen minutes later, looking utterly ridiculous in his costume and more than a little frantic.  
  
"Ruki," he'd called out from a few meters away. She didn't budge until he was at her side. "Do you have it?"  
  
Ruki rolled her eyes, yanked the coil of oiled, woven leather from her backpack, and shoved it against his chest. "You owe me tons for this, Ryo."  
  
Relief swept Ryo's face as he took the whip and almost hugged its coils. If he was more her type, she could almost forgive him just for being too damn cute in his reunion. Men and their phallic symbols...  
  
When he didn't answer immediately, she prepared her usual tirade against this fandom thing he was entirely too invested in. Before she could start, however, Ryo pulled her over to a gap in the crowd and nodded at two people at the dealers' tables.  
  
"Remember those doujinshi we found? The artist is here."  
  
Ruki squinted in the direction indicated, and she smirked. "Takato. Who knew?"  
  
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, after all.


	8. Ruki, Ryo: Anything else would be a disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title: (Comfortable, Singles' Night, The Bet)  
> Originally posted: 2006/06/20, 2007/2/14, 2007/12/27  
> Rating: G  
> Word count: 300(x3)

Theirs was a relationship of old habits and comfortable sniping.  
  
Ruki checked that thought and snorted. Everyone expected them to end up in a romantic relationship. Both their names started with R, they were the Digimon Queen and King, and they could take as much as they could dish out. Four years later and people regularly confused their outings for dates.  
  
The only problem was that they understood each other too well and knew that anything more than _this_ would result in disaster. That, and he wasn't really her type. She wanted stability, and that was the last thing Ryo could offer. And then there was that other thing...  
  
His eyes wandered the nearly-empty cafe, lingering a little too long on several scrawny, bespectacled men from the local university who seemed to fit a specific type of his. Typical.  
  
"I hear you've been hanging around Jen more often," she said from behind a glass of bubble tea.  
  
Ryo paused in the process of sucking up (and blowing down) a tapioca bubble with an overly large straw, and tore his eyes from one of the men to look at her. She bit her lip to refrain from calling attention to his "new" skill. "I hear the same thing about you and Juri, but you don't see me making insinuations."  
  
"You don't need to. I don't play that way and you know it."  
  
"Pity. I bet Takato would like to wa-"  
  
Ruki couldn't help but grin viciously as he yelped and reached down to rub his freshly bruised shin. Those steel-toed boots were a great investment.   
  
There was no resentment in his voice. "You get off on that, don't you?"  
  
"No, but you open yourself up for it." With a smirk, she pulled away to rise. "You're paying the bill this time."

.*.

"I hate this day," Ruki snarled as she yanked the chair back to sit at her usual table in the tea shop. Unfazed, Ryo just looked up at her and slid an untouched glass over to her side.   
  
Hazelnut mocha with coffee jelly beads at the bottom, the way she liked it. Ryo looked innocently at her when she glanced suspiciously at him and resumed sipping his purple taro drink. Not to be outdone, she crossed her arms and glared. "What do you think you're doing?"  
  
"Buying tea for a friend on a day I know she hates," he said casually. "Those gossiping students and teachers must be a headache, especially if she does what I expect her to and refuses to buy chocolates for anyone. Way I figure it, I should do something nice for her."  
  
With a snort, Ruki grabbed the drink and sipped. Of course Ryo would be nice for the sake of it. "I'm still not getting you anything."  
  
"Not expecting it."   
  
Ruki kicked his shin under the table. It was more of a familiar gesture than one done out of spite. "You're insufferable. I should hang you."  
  
"Do it with a bath towel and a doorknob and I'll be bigger than Matsumoto Hideto," Ryo shot back with a grin. She kicked again and changed the grin to a wince.  
  
Comfortable silence fell until they were down to the last of their drinks. Ryo spoke again. "Since we're both single on Valentine's Day, are you up for a movie marathon? We can make fun of bad monster movies! It'll be great!"  
  
Ruki looked up in surprise. If this was anyone else asking her, she would have thought it a date proposal. Thankfully, neither of them had romantic interest in the other. "Sure. You bring the popcorn."

.*.

Hirokazu was a man with a mission, with a tip from Juri that cost him several valuable cards. Okay, so he was sixteen, but that counted as adulthood in some countries!  
  
Regardless of little details like that, his mission was pretty simple. He had two friends he liked, but they really weren't suited for each other _that_ way. They fought too much. Hirokazu knew pretty well that when a girl and a boy spent a lot of time together, they were An Item. He didn't really know if there were mushy things like flowers or chocolates involved, but _real_ guys never pay any attention to that!  
  
The tell-tale flutter of a red scarf caught his eye and he left his post to follow the couple on their way to the movie theater.  
  
"You owe me for this," Ruki said. "A Masked Rider movie _and_ a Supersentai movie?"  
  
Ryo seemed to be smiling at her, even with his mouth covered by that scarf. "I figured you needed a laugh after that test."  
  
"Ugh. If the posturing doesn't kill me, your stupid crushes on guys in spandex will."  
  
Hirokazu blinked at that. Wait, did-  
  
"Hey now," Ryo admonished, though he was too good-natured for it to have any sort of impact. "I never say anything about _your_ taste in guys."  
  
Ruki made another disgusted sound, but it sounded more teasing than usual. "You _so_ owe me. Artsy, depressing movie matinee at my place tomorrow. Bring ice cream."  
  
As they entered the theater and debated ice cream flavors, Hirokazu remained behind, confused. He had been so sure that they were a couple on the verge of breaking up that he put money on the matter. How was he going to pay off Kenta now, who insisted they never were?


End file.
